Assembling machine for screws and washers



June 9, 1942. F DA 2,286,066

ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Filed Aug. 19, 1939 6 SheetsfSheet 1 1N VENTOR I flea/1K 5. 0n ws ATTORNEY-S June 9, 1942. F. B. DAVIS ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Filed Aug. 19, 1959 Hllll IHIII June 9, 1942.

F. B. DAVIS ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS ANDv WASHERS wwnqa ATTORNEYS June 9, 1942. F. a. DAVIS ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Filed Aug. 19, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS |l|l Ill June 9, 1942. F. B. DAVIS ,0

ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Filed Aug. '19, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR. /w/w 5; 00405 ATTORNEYS June 9, 1942. F. B. DAVIS 2,286,066

ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Filed Aug. 19, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 1NVE\NTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1942 ASSEMBLING MACHINE FOR SCREWS AND WASHERS Frank B. Davis, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The National Screw & Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 19, 1939, Serial No. 291,049

1 Claim. (01. 2984) This invention relates to a machine for assembling washers onto screws and particularly lock washers onto screws the shanks of which have been threaded, the mechanism being such as to assemble the washers onto the unthreaded portions of the shanks of the screws next to the screw heads.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an assembling machine for the purpose stated which is economical in its operation in the respect that it eliminates hand labor and particularly the manual handling of the screws and washers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembling machine of this character which does effective work and is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

A still further object is to provide improved mechanism by which the washers as well as the screws are fed from hoppers to the assembling point with little likelihood of improper feeding or failure to feed the washers which are generally lock washers and are therefore provided at their outer or both outer and inner peripheries with laterally disposed prongs or teeth which in themselves provide serious problems in their feed to the point of assembly.

A still further object is to provide an automatic separating mechanism which will separate the screws which for any reason have failed to receive the washers from those which are provided with washers as during the normal operation of the machine, as well as to separate out any screws or washer and screw assemblies including screws longer than those utilized during any particular run of the machine, so as to avoid the necessity of subsequent inspection and manual separation.

The above and other objects are attained by the present invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an assembling machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view looking toward the left of Fig. 1, some of the parts being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in end elevation looking at the opposite end from that shown in Fig. l, the bed of the machine being omitted;

Fig. 4a is a fragmentary view taken on the line la-4a of Fig. 4 showing the manner of actuating the shaft and screw delivery segment plate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, the section being taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation looking particularly at the assembly die and the point at which the assembling of the screw and the washer takes place;

Fig. 7 is a detail View partly in section and partly in elevation showing a portion of the separator mechanism which causes unassembled products to be discharged into a different receptacle than that which receives the properly assembled products with screws of normal or desired length;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showin particularly the pusher for inserting the screw through the center opening of the washer in the assembling operation;

Fig. 9 is a detail of the disk utilized in the feeding of the washers, this view showing the disk as viewed from the line 9--9 of Fig. 10 and showing part of the hopper and part of the de-' livery chute by dotted lines;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the disk with some of the associated parts shown by dotted lines;

Fig. 11 is a side View of the transfer member for the screws, the shaft supporting the transfer member being in section along the line H--ll of Fig. 4;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view viewed from the line l2l2 of Fig. 4 and showing the lower part of .the delivery chute or guide for the screws and a portion of the transfer mechanism;

Fig. 12a is a fragmentary perspective view showing particularly the cradle mounted on the corner of the plate for delivering screws from the chute to the transfer fingers;

Fig. 13 shows one of the screws and the washer prior to assembly, the washer here shown being toothed at its outer periphery only;

Fig. 14 is a view of the same after the assembling operation, the washer in Figs. 13 and 14 being in section and the screw being in elevation;

Fig. 15 is a side view of the washer shown in Figs. 13 and 14; and

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15 showing a lock washer toothed at both its inner and its outer peripheries.

In my improved assembling machine, the

. screws are fed from one hopper and the washers washer and a screw are brought to the assembly point with the washer held in a given position in a die and with the screw positioned opposite the central opening in the washer, and then a plunger pushes the screw forwardly through the opening in the washer so as to position the washer on the shank of the screw next to the screw head. Then the screw and washer assembly is pushed out of the die and isdelivered to a receiving receptacle, but if for any reason the screw fails to receive a washer or if the screw is somewhat longer than desired, then the screw or the longer screw with the assembled washer is by a separator caused to be discharge into another receptacle.

With my improved assembling machine the screws are preferably such asillustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 and designated 2i these screws having their shanks threaded prior to assembly with the washers, and in the assembling operation by u an endwise movement of the screw when aligned with the opening in the washer 24 as shown in Fig. 13, the washer is moved onto a short unthreaded portion Zea, of the screw next to the screw-head,.as shown in Fig. 14. The unthreaded portion 260, "may 'be cylindrical or slightly tapered, but in either event the washer will be slidlon and after assembly will have a frictiontightfit on the unthreaded portion of the screw next to the head. The washers are preferably lock washers which may be toothed at their outer periphery as shown in Figs. 13, 14, and .15, or theymay be toothed at their inner periphery or at both theinner and outer-peripheries as shown atirzinLFig. 16, or they may be otherwise shaped to serve'as lock washers.

I wish to make clear, however, that while my improvedassembling machine is used principally in the assembling of lock washers and screws whose shanksare threaded prior to the assembling operation, it may be used also in the assembling of washers and screw blanks the shanks of'which are adapted to be threaded after the assembling operation. Likewise, the invention has utility inthe assembling of plain washers on screws with threaded or unthreaded shanks. Therefore in the following description the term screw is :to be understood to include a screw whose shank has been threaded or is unthreaded atYthe time the assembling occurs, and the term washer 'willapply to a washer which is formed as a lock washer 'in any of the standard ways or which is a plain washer,

The assembling machine includes a suitable bed or frame 23 which-may be formed in-any suitablemanner and which-has an extension 24 (Figs. 1,2, and 4) on which is mounted a normally stationary but horizontally adjustable blockZE to which is secured a standard 26 supporting the hopper ill for the washers. By means of an adjusting screw 28, best shown in -Fig. 2, the position of the hopper 21 and the parts associated'therewith may be adjusted to accommodate screws of different lengths. The washer hopper 21 is provided with a pick-up and delivery member 29 in the form of adisk which is in an inclined position, being preferably inclined about 26 from the vertical. The disk 29 is secured to an inclined'shaft 3'0 journaled in a boss at vthe upper end of the standardiii and adapted to be given a step-by-step movement by mechanism to be referred to presently. This disk 29- is provided with peripheral notches 29a which are somewhat U-shaped'and are of a size largeenough .toaccommodate-one of the washers. A quantity of washers is placed in the hopper behind a partition Zia (Figs. 2 and 10) which partition extends across the hopper toward but not to the bottom. The washers pass underneath this partition into engagement with the lower section of the disk 29, and as the disk is given this step-by-step movement the washers lodge individually in the notches 29a, and as they pass upwardly with the disk above the quantity or" washers, they are retained in the notches by reason of the inclined position of the disk. When they reach a given position they drop one at a time into a delivery chute 3!. Generally each notch contains a single washer, but if, as sometimes happens, two washers become lodged in any of thenotches, the extra washers are brushed off before they reach the point of delivery to the 'chute Si by depending coil springs 32 attached to the hopper so as to extend over the inclined front face of the disk.

Foreach cycle of the machine (during which a washer is assembled-0n a screw), the disk 29 i given a step-by-step movement equivalent to the distance between the notches 29a, and when a notch with a washer in it reaches the upper end of the chut '3i, at which-point the opening in the chute communicates with the interior of the hopper in line with the notched face of the disk 29, the washer slides or rolls out of the notch into the chute opening and slides down the chute, it being noted that there is never more than one washer in the chute. After sliding the length of the chute, the washer come -to a stop at the point where the assembling occurs inthe U-shaped bottom of a notch in a die 33 (seeparticularly Figs. 4, 5, and 6). This die 33 is carried by an adjustable die block or holder 34 (see Fig. 5) adjustabl-y mounted in an extension 35 of the frame 2 3. The upper end of the chute 35 is attached to the washer hopper 21 and its lowerend is attached to the die block 34, and when it is desired to adjust the machine for screws of different lengths, this die block 34 will beloosenedby retracting screws as passing througha gib 31 so that, when the hopper 21 is adjusted by means of the adjusting screw 28, the hopper, the guide chute, and the die will be adjusted as a unit.

When the washer reaches the base of the slot of the dies3 which slot forms a continuation of theslotin the chute 3!, it is temporarily held in that position and prevented from tipping forward byapair of leaf springs 33 which are secured to the sides ofthe die 33,-these leaf springs having "yieldable forwardly and laterally bent ends 380.. Assisting in holding th washers in the position just stated is a lip 39a of a hinge plate 39 hinged to the lower part of the chute, as

best shown in Fig. 6, and yieldingly retracted by.

aspring-M. The front ends of the leaf springs 33.and the lower end or lip of the hinge plate 39 do not interfere with the'inward movement of the screw the shankof which is to be inserted through the'cpening in the washer, and at the same time they do not interfere with the ejection of the assembled product after assembly.

In linewith the Washer when located in the 7 die or'in theposition just stated is a plunger M.

The plunger =i is adjustably secured to a bolt -42 which is carried by a' slide 53 mounted for horizontal reciprocating movement-in a support 44 (see Figs. 2 and 5)'m'ounted onextensions of the frame .23. The mannerin which the plunger and the parts carrying it are reciprocated will be explained presently.

Substantially coincidental with the delivery of a washer to the die in line with the plunger 4| a screw is positioned between the washer and the plunger 4| and the mechanism for causing the delivery of a screw to the assembly point at each cycle will now be explained. The screws are supplied from a hopper 45 which is suitably supported on'an extension of th frame 23. The hopper and the means for delivering the screws from the hopper may be of standard form. The screws are picked up by an oscillatory plate 46 which is pivoted at 41 and has an extension projecting up through the bottom of the hopper and is grooved at its top so that the screws will arrange themselves side-by-side thereon with the heads at the top of the plate and the threaded shanks extending down into a groove or slot in the plate. As the plate swings upwardly, the screws are delivered into an inclined chute 48 (see particularly Fig. 4) at the top of which is a bar 49 high enough from the side walls of the chute to accommodate the heads of the screws. The position of this bar can be adjusted to accommodate screw heads of different sizes. At the top of the chute are some rotating toothed members 56 which are mounted on a shaft and which brush off the chute and back into the hopper any screws which are delivered crosswise or horizontally from the plate 46 to the chute.

Secured to a rock shaft 52 mounted in inclined position at the bottom of the chute 48 is an inclined segment-shaped screw delivery plate 53 which is adapted to be swung from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 11, where it receives the screw from the lower end of the chute 46, to the full line position shown in the same figure.

At one corner of the chute is a receiving cradle 54 which may be formed from sheet metal and is provided with a pair of notches so positioned that when the plate 53 is swung to the dotted line position the cradle receives the lowermost screw in the chute 48, and then the plate 53 swings downward to the full line position shown in this figure, and in so doing the screw in the cradle is brought to horizontal position. However, since the body of the plate slides over the lower end of the chute, the discharge of the next screw is prevented until the plate is again re turned to screw-receiving position.

When the screw reaches the position shown in Fig. 11 it is just in front of a pair of spring pick-up fingers 55 (see Fig. 4) which are carried on the end of an oscillating arm 56 mounted on a shaft 51 carried by the frame of the machine. This arm, which is cam-actuated in a manner to be explained presently, causes the pick-up fingers first to move forwardly and grasp the screw while in the cradle and then to be retracted slightly so as to allow the cradle with the plate 53 to be swung back to position the cradle to receive the next screw. Thereupon the arm 56 is again swung downwardly so as to carry the screw held by the fingers 55 to a position in line with the plunger 4| and the washer in the die. Then the plunger 4| is moved forward, and as it enters the washer and the opening in th die, the arm 56 swings backward carrying the fingers 55 to a position to receive the screw which is to receive a washer during the next cycle of operations.

Above I have described the main operating parts of the machine which are instrumental in the assembling of the washers on the screws, and I will next describe in detail the mechanism herein illustrated by which these parts are operated and will then describe another important feature of the invention, i. e., the separator previously referred to.

Power is supplied to the machine in any suitable manner, but in this instance by a belt 58a which engages a pulley 58 on a shaft 59 suitably supported in horizontal position on the frame of the machine. As illustrated in Fig. 2, there is located atthe side of the pulley 58 a loose pulley 60 onto which the belt 51 may be shifted if it is desired to stop the operation of the machine. The shaft 59 is connected by gearing 6| to a cam shaft 62 journaled on the frame of the machine (see the lower lefthan'd side of Fig. 1). From this cam shaft power is derived to actuate all the parts of the machine.

I will first describe the mechanism herein illustrated for actuating the disk 29 of the washer feeding mechanism. It will be observed that at the end of the cam shaft 62 shown in Fig. 1 a sprocket wheel is provided which, through the sprocket chain 63, rotates a shaft 64 which is supported by the frame of the machine beneath the washer hopper 21, shaft 64 being rotated at the same speed as cam shaft 62. This shaft 64 which, like the cam shaft, rotates continuously as long as the machine is in operation is provided with a cam 65 (see Fig. 2) which is engaged by a roller 66 carried by a pitman 61 the upper end of which has a ball and socket connection shown at 68 with one arm 69 of a bell crank 16 loosely mounted on the shaft 30 to which is secured the washer delivery disk 29. A spring 10a. which is connected to the bell crank lever 10 keeps the roller 66 in contact with the periphery of the cam 65. The other arm H of the bell crank HI carries a spring-pressed pawl I2 which engages a ratchet wheel 13 also mounted on the shaft 30. A yieldable driving connection is provided between the ratchet wheel 13 and the shaft 30, and the detail of this is shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the hub M of the bell crank 1|] is partly surrounded by a spiral spring 15. One end of this spring is anchored to the hub by means of a screw 16 or otherwise, and the other end of the spring is connected to a pin 11 which extends through an arc-shaped slot 18 in the hub and is connected to the shaft 30 to which the washer feeding disk 29 is secured. There are as many teeth in the ratchet 13 as there are washer receiving sockets at the periphery of the disk 29 and in each cycle of the machine the disk 29 is moved the distance between the teeth of the ratchet and therefore the disk is given an angular movement equal to the distance between the peripheral notches. At the completion of each movement of the ratchet wheel 13 one of the peripheral notches of the disk is brought opposite the mouth or entrance opening of the washer delivery chute 3|, as shown in Fig. 4. The spring 15 normally functions to turn the shaft 36 and the disk 29 the full distance each time that the pawl 12 actuates the ratchet wheel, but if for any reason the washer feeding disk 29 becomes stalled as by clogging-of the washers, then the spring 15 will yield and the ratchet will make idle strokes without turning the disk 29 until the trouble is overcome, and this can take place without breakage of any of the parts.

It will be noted that the roller 66 which engages the cam 65 on shaft 64 has a rounded periphery and, as pointed out above, the upper end of the pitman 61 has a ball and socket connection with one arm of the bell crank on shaft 30. This reciprocate the .plunger 41 arrangement permits the adjustment of the .hop-

'per 21 .and the parts associated :with itby turning the screw 28 after the usual holding screws have .been loosened without .disarranging the mechanism for imparting the-.step-byestep movements to .the washer feedingdisk.

The cam shaft .32 has other actuating cams and pulleys including va cam 19 (Fig. 8) which rocks alever 83 pivoted at 8! on the frame of the .machine, the lever having a .roller 32 engaging the face of the cam. The lever 80 has anarm .extendingthrough the slot in thesupport Mend operatively connected to the slide 63 so as to in predetermined timedrelation with the other essential parts of the assembling mechanism. A spring .83 connected to the leverti! keeps the roller 82 at the 7 end of the lever 63 in engagement with the cam.

Additionally, the cam shaft '62 is provided with two cams both shown in Fig. 4 and designated 84 and :85, the former serving .to operate the spring fingers 55 which in each cycle position the screw in line with the plunger H. The lever 56 carrying the fingershasa roller 86 which engages theperiphery of the cam 8d and is kept in engagement therewith byasuitable spring 81.

The cam85 is utilizedto swing the plate 53 which in each cycle of the machine carries a screw from the lower end of the chute $8 to a position in front of the fingers'55. This cam is T engaged by a roller 38 at the lower end of a rod 89 which at its outer end is connected to acrank H3 :at the upper end of the inclined shaft 52 to which the plate 53 is secured (see Figs. 4 and 4a) A suitable'spring 9i keeps the roller 88 in engagement with the periphery .of cam .85.

The plate which extends through the bottom of the screw hopper 35 and feeds the screws to the .chute A 8 is given an oscillatory .rnovement about the axis of the pin orshaft ll by the following means. On the cam shaft ,62 is pro vided-a pulley 522 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,

and this is engaged by a belt 33 engaginga pulley 94 on a shaft supported on the frame of the machine beneath the screw hopper 2-5. This shaft has a crank 33 carrying a roller $51 which engages the lower side of the plate Q8, asclearly shown in Fig. 4.

The toothed wheels 5% which rotate adjacent to the upper-end of the chute d8 are driven by a belt 98 engaging a pulley 39 on the shaft ,5! which supports the toothed wheelsanda pulley I on the cam shaft 62, this drive being illustrated '4! (seeFig. it moves backward or inward a kick-out pin Mi which is slidably mounted in an anvil I92 which in turn is slidably supported by the diefl33. At its rear end the anvil is connected to a kick-outsleeve I33 which is adapted to have slight endwise sliding movement in the die block 34. The rear end. of the kick-out pin I91 has a head which engages a spring I96 which is located in the kick-out sleeve 503 and is compressedwhen the kick-out pin isjmoved back by the-screw. Accordingly, when the plunger 4| is retracted, the spring 134 acting on the kick-out pin will eject thescrew from the die. However, sinceithe'washer which isnow assembled onthe screw'is held in the .die by the .parts ;38a. of :the leaf-springs and the lip :39a. of the hingeplate 39, for 'the ejection of the screw and washer it is desired that simultaneously with the forward movement .Of the kick-out pin ,Illl the anvil be moved forwardly so as to apply ejecting force or pressure on the rear face of the washer sufficientto overcome the spring action of the washer retaining .members .referred'to soas to guard against the washer being retained in the die when the screw is ejected. To accomplish this result, the anvil and the kick-out sleeve I03 carrying itare positively moved forward a predetermined but adjustable distance in each cycle of the machine immediately following the retraction of the plunger M. For this purpose there is providedon the camshaft 62 a cam I05 (see Fig. 1) the face of which is engaged by a roller atone endof an arm I36 of a kick-out lever I07, the roller being kept in engagement with the face of the cam by a spring Ii'i'la which is connected to the lever as shown in Fig. 5. The lever I31 has an upper arm I68 the upper end of which is provided with an adjustable hollow stud I39 (see Fig. 5), the-stud being screwed intoa threaded opening in the end of the arm I38 and held in adjusted position by a nut Idea. The head I092) of the stud engages the head I I I] of a hollow plug III which is screwed in the outer end of the kick-out sleeve I63. As the arm I08 is swung inwardly, the head of the stud I09 by its engagement with the head I II] of the plug I I I moves the kick-out sleeve I63 and the anvil I02 forwardly so as to positively eject the washer from the die simultaneously with the ejection of the screw by the kick-out pin NH. The distance that the kick-out sleeve I33 is thus moved forwardly is adjustable by means of an adjusting pin H2 (see the upperpart of Fig. 5) having an eccentric lower end engaging in a slot H3 in the kick-out sleeve I93. When the stud 1&9 andthe kick-out sleeve I33 are moved forwardly bythe lever Iill and the cam I05, a spring H4 is compressed and later restores these parts to their former positions, this spring surrounding a portion of the kick-out sleeve I03, one end of the spring engaging a shoulder on the sleeve I03 and its other end engaging the rear end of the die block 34 (see Fig. 5).

The separator mechanism will now be .described. .It will be noted particularly by reference toFig. 5 that the plug II'I has a cylindrical and tubular extension [I5 which extends forwardly inside thespring I34 which acts on the head of the kick-out pin NH. Movable inside of this tubular extension N5 of the plug III isa separator pin II'S the forward endof which is normally close to the head and in fact practically in contact with the head of the kick-out pin IilI when the latter is in its rearmostrposition shown'in Fig. 5 when a .washer of predetermined thickness is assembled on a screw of intended length. To the ,rearendof this pin I I6 is secured one endof a .wire II] extending freely throughahollow flexible cable IIB (shown in Figs..2, 4-and 5). .The pin I66 and the wire II'I are not moved endwise during the normal operation of the machine, but if the kick-out pin It! is moved rearwardly a greater than normal distance, as, .for example, if a washer fails to be seated in the die when the screw is pushed in by theplunger 4| or if the screw is longer than intended, the head or rear end of the kick-out pin IOI engages and moves endwise the pin H6 and consequently the wire II1. One end of the cable H8 is fastened in the plug III (Fig. while its other end is fastened to a sleeve Ia (Fig. 7) adjustably mounted in a bracket IIS supported in stationary position on the frame of the machine at the point best indicated at the righthand end of Fig. 1. It was mentioned above that one end of the wire I I1 is attached to the pin IIB (Fig. 5) and the other end of the wire II 1 is connected to the pin I20 (Fig. 7) slidable in the sleeve I20a. The outer or free end of the pin I20 normally engages the end of an adjustable screw I20b which is carried by an arm I2I of a lever pivoted at I22 on the frame of the machine, as shown at the righthand side of Fig. 1 and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. A spring I 200 holds the upper end of the lever arm I2I against an adjustable stop I20d (carried by bracket; I I9) with the adjustable screw I201) engaging the end of the pin I20. The other arm I23 of this lever extends downward and has a hook at its lower end which is normally engaged by the hooked free end of an arm I24 which is secured to one end of a shaft I25 (see Figs. 2, 4, and 7) which shaft is attached at its opposite end to a delivery chute I25 for the screw and washer assemblies.

Normally, this chute stands in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7, its upper end being directly opposite the point of discharge of the assemblies when they are kicked from the die so that they will fall into the upper end of the chute and be delivered into a receptacle I21. The chute is capable of moving from the full line position shown in Fig. 7 to the dotted line position, and it is moved to this position to receive the washerless screws or the screw and washer assemblies having screws of longer than the desired length, in which case the latter are delivered into a sec ond receptacle I28.

This movement of the chute occurs when the separator pin IOI and the wire I I1 are moved endwise as previously explained, this movement being transmitted to the screw I201) carried by the arm I2I of the lever I2I-I23 and is sufficient to rock the hooked end of the arm I23 of the lever from under the free end of the arm I24 so as to allow the lever to drop from the full line position shown in Fig. 7 to the dotted line position and to thus rock the chute I 26 from its full line position above the receptacle I 21 to the dotted line position above the receptacle I28.

The arm I24 carries a roller I29 which is adapted to be engaged by a cam I30 to lift and restore the lever to its normal position, in which case the I hooked end of lever I24 again reengages over the hooked end of the lever arm I23. The cam I30 is on the shaft 64 previously referred to. It will be understood that the pin II6 to which one end of the wire H1 is attached, as previously stated. will normally be out of the path of movement of the kick-out pin IOI and normally the arm I24 will be supported in the full line position shown in Fig. 7, and during the time that the arm is retained in its elevated position the cam I30 rotates idly. However, when a screw is inserted in the die 33 and the anvil I02 when there is no washer in the die, or if the screw is somewhat longer than desired, the kick-out pin IOI will be given an inward movement greater than normal, and this increased movement is sufficient to move the separator pin I I B rearwardly, and the movement thus imparted to the wire I I1 is sufficient to disengage the hooked end of the lever arm I23 from beneath the hooked end of arm I24 so as to allow the lever to drop and swing the delivery chute so it will discharge into receptacle I28 instead of into receptacle I21. At the instant that the lever drops, the high part of the cam is out of the way of the roller so that the lever can drop to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7. Then as cam I30 continues its movement, it will lift the lever to the full line position and its free end will again engage over the hooked end of lever arm I23, again restoring the chute I26 to its position to discharge the properly assembled screws and washers into the receptacle I21.

Operation During each cycle of the machine the following operations or movements occur. Through the action of the cam and the ratchet mechanism, the notched disk 29 in the washer hopper 23 is given one of its step-by-step movements sufficient to bring a washer to a position opposite the mouth of the chute 3|, and the washer then drops out of the notch of the disk and slides down the chute and comes to a stop at the assembling point at the front of the die, it being remembered that one washer at a time is delivered to the chute 3 I, which is an important feature of my invention and, I believe, necessary for the successful feeding of the washers from a hopper. Substantially coincident withthe delivery of a washer to the die a screw is delivered by the spring fingers 55 to a position in line with the washer and in line with the plunger 4|. The feeding of the screws to the chute 48 is accomplished by the vertical swinging or oscillation of the plate 46, and the delivery of a screw to the position just stated is brought about by the swinging of the segmentshaped plate 53 through the medium of the cam and by the delivery of the screw from the cradle of this plate by the spring fingers 55 actuated by the cam 84 and the lever 55 which carries the spring fingers 55. As soon as the screw is positioned in line with the plunger 4| the latter is moved inwardly by the action of the cam 19, the lever 80, and the slide 43, causing the screw to be moved inwardly and the washer to be slid onto the unthreaded portion of the shank of the screw next to the head.

On the retraction of the plunger M the kickout mechanism operates to simultaneously push the screw outward through the action of the spring-actuated kick-out pin I Ill and also to push out the washer so as to keep it in its proper assembled position on the screw, this being accomplished by the simultaneous forward movement of the anvil and the kick-out sleeve I03 produced by the movement of the lever I01 which movement is imparted by cam I05 on the cam shaft 62. Thereupon the kick-out sleeve I03 is moved backward by the spring H4 and the kick-out pin IElI will be moved backward when a screw is again inserted in the anvil in the next cycle of operations.

On the ejection of the assembled screw and washer, the screw and washer assembly falls into the chute I25 and is deposited in the receptacle I21. As previously explained, during the normal or proper operation of the machine the separator mechanism is inactive, in which case the separator pin I I6 and the wire I I1 are stationary and the lever I24 remains in its upper position with the cam I30 rotating idly beneath the roller I29. However, this separator mechanism is at all times ready to act, and if a screw of greater length. than that for which the machine is set:

is. inserted in the anvil or if when a screw is moved into the anvil there is for some reason no washer in the die, then the kick-outpin will begivenan increased movement equal at leastto the thicknessof the washer, andthiswill be sufficient to move the separator pin H6 and the wire I I1- so'as to shift the lever arm [23 and trip the arm I24 so;v as to allow what may be termed a defective product to bedelivered into the receptacle I281 Thus the necessity for inspecting and manually separatingthe defective parts from the assembled screwsand Washershaving screws of normal length is avoided.

At this point it might be mentioned that the separating mechanism is very sensitive and reliable, and while it isshown in connection with an assembling machine; it may have utility also in. a. sorting machine to sort screws. or other products of differentlengths.

Thepresent machine functionsrapidly so that itscapacity in the number of screws and washers whichitassemblesinagiven time isquite large. The machine. is. also relatively simple in construction. and is so reliable in. operation that a large number of machines can be supervised by a. single. workman.

While. I have shown the preferred construction,. Ildo not desire. to be confinedto theprecise details or arrangements illustrated but aim in my claim to. cover. all modifications which do not involvea departure from the'spirit and scope of the invention.v

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim: In a machine for. assembling screws and lock washers, assemblingmechanismincluding a holdwashers one at a time to the chute along which.

er for a washer: and. a .movable assembling: member for assembling a screw with a washer in said. holder, means for supplying washers one at a;

time; to said holder including a hopper for receiving abatch or' mass of loose washers, a chute extending from the hopper to the holder and a rotary member in the hopper for delivering the they travel to the holder, means for supplying screwsone at a, time to aposition in line with a washer in theholder and between the latter and the movable assembling member so that upon actuation of. said assembling member the screw will beinserted through the opening of the wash er, means'for thereafter ejecting theassembled screw and washer from the holder, power means and power transmitting elements from said power means to the rotary member, in the washer hopper; to the screw delivery member, and to the assembling member and serving to actuate said ously delivered washer that the washers move along said chute in spaced relation and reach said holder a time interval after a; previouswasher in said holder has beenassembled; with a screw and ejected, whereby said washersf-rom the time they leave said hopper until. they are ejected. are in spaced. relation and out of. con.- tact with each other.

FRANK B; DAVIS. 

